One if by land, a thousand if by sea? Greenwich ramps up crowd control for upcoming Dave Matthews concert

Neil Vigdor, Staff Writer

Published 9:33 pm, Wednesday, June 23, 2010

What the Green Zone is to Baghdad, Belle Haven is to Greenwich.

Home to not one but two billionaires and some of the town's priciest real estate, the publicity shy waterfront enclave will be shrouded in a security blanket of unrivaled proportions Saturday night.

Not for a visiting head of state or pontiff -- but for a rock star.

At least one-third of the entire 148-officer Greenwich police force is expected to be part of the private security detail for an invitation-only outdoor charity concert featuring the Dave Matthews Band.

"Fifty officers is a lot of officers," said Lt. Kraig Gray, a police spokesman. "We're not there for buzz kill. We'll do what we have to do to keep it safe."

To put that in perspective, the town mustered roughly half its police force to protect President George W. Bush when he visited for a fundraiser in 2004.

Not nearly as many officers were assigned to Vice President Joe Biden's entourage last fall when he helped raise cash for U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn.

The going rate for hiring an off-duty cop is $60 an hour, a tab that police brass assured will be picked up by the concert's organizers, not taxpayers.

"Wow, Dave Matthews. Being a weekend, we're probably going to have a boat out in the area," said Petty Officer First Class Mark Phillips, a Coast Guard spokesman out of New Haven. "If we come across a boater or somebody that's intoxicated, we'll then work with (local) agencies. Our number one thing is safety."

In a June 16 letter to Belle Haven members obtained by Greenwich Time, the club advised members to access their boats before 7 p.m. Those without boats or dinner reservations, which have all been booked, were advised to stay away from the club.

"We are choosing to increase safety for the neighborhood and the club," said the letter, which came from the Belle Haven board of directors. "The Marine Police and Coast Guard will have a large presence and will be enforcing the laws in our harbor and on our docks, so please be mindful of the laws regarding carrying capacity of your vessel."

A message seeking comment from the club's general manager was left at his office on Tuesday.